"KRA-BOOM!"
The Douluo Continent.
In a place rarely touched by human footsteps, lightning filled the sky like a spiderweb, oppressively heavy, as though the end of the world had arrived.
Yet...
Atop a solitary peak, a young man stood motionless with his eyes closed, bathing in the lightning.
Normally, heavenly lightning was so powerful that even a Titled Douluo would not dare face it head-on and would avoid its fury. Yet the young man remained completely unharmed, even wearing an expression of enjoyment. It was terrifying!
"Crack!"
After an unknown length of time, a sharp crack rang out inside the young man. Almost simultaneously, he finally opened his eyes, which brimmed with delighted surprise.
"I broke through!"
"Eighteen years after I, Qin Xiao, came to the Douluo Continent, my soul power finally reached level 90 today."
His voice was filled with joy.
His name was Qin Xiao. He came from Blue Star and was a transmigrator.
He had been an orphan in his previous life, and he was an orphan in this one too.
At six years old, he had awakened his martial soul: Thunder Emperor.
It was a wondrous and powerful martial soul.
He was naturally immune to lightning, could control it, and could even feed on it, converting its power into pure soul power. This was the main reason Qin Xiao had reached level 90 at just eighteen.
Compared to his simple, brutal ability to devour lightning, the so-called soul power cultivation guidance methods of the Douluo Continent were pathetically weak.
"Once I obtain my ninth soul ring, I'll officially enter the ranks of Titled Douluos."
"Heh, an eighteen-year-old Titled Douluo. That should be unprecedented."
Qin Xiao remembered that Tang Hao, known as the youngest Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent, had already been in his forties when he became one.
Compared to him, Tang Hao was, at best, an old genius.
Qin Xiao's emergence had already shattered the established history of the Douluo Continent.
If the soul masters of the Douluo Continent learned of this, their jaws would litter the ground.
He turned and headed down the mountain.
Qin Xiao was going to hunt for his ninth soul ring.
However, just as Qin Xiao left the summit, he froze in place as though struck by an immobilization spell. A mechanical voice had sounded in his mind:
[Congratulations, host. The Beginner Guidance System has been successfully bound.] [Ding! Your beginner gift pack has been delivered. Please check it.]
What the hell?
A system?
Qin Xiao looked utterly bewildered. I'm almost a Titled Douluo, and only now does my system activate?
What kind of joke is this?
After all, Titled Douluos were already the pinnacle in the hearts of countless soul masters, figures worthy of reverence. Did he still need a system?
At that moment, Qin Xiao felt absolutely nothing and even found it a little laughable.
"What functions do you have?"
Although Qin Xiao genuinely did not think much of this system, it was still his cheat. He ought to learn a little about it, right?
What if it actually proved useful?
[This system's ultimate objective is to guide rookie soul masters to the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent.]
"Rookie soul masters, huh? That certainly isn't me. Looks like you've found the wrong person."
Qin Xiao laughed confidently.
[System verification is correct. You are the host.]
I'm a rookie soul master?
Have you misunderstood what a rookie soul master is?
Qin Xiao asked irritably, "Then do you know my cultivation level?"
[Level 90.]
"And you're still sure you want to guide me?"
[Yes.]
Qin Xiao: "..."
He understood now. This system was a few screws short. No wonder it had taken eighteen years to activate.
"Forget it. Let's see what's in the beginner gift pack."
Qin Xiao could not be bothered with the dim-witted system. With a thought, he opened the beginner gift pack.
Several items immediately appeared before him.
More precisely, they were a few books.
Qin Xiao looked through them one by one: the Complete Encyclopedia of Soul Beasts, the Complete Guide to Soul Master Theory, the Map of the Douluo Continent, and the Introduction to the Douluo Continent.
"Just this junk?"
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow and tossed all the books down the mountain in disgust.
There was no need to feel bad about it.
These were all commonplace goods. He had bought a set for one Gold Soul Coin back when he was still a Soul Master. They were worthless.
[Ding! Since the host already possesses a basic understanding of the Douluo Continent, beginner guidance will now be activated.]
"Beginner guidance?"
"I'm already level 90. I'm not a beginner anymore. You can skip the beginner guidance and give me introductory or more advanced missions."
Qin Xiao spoke with dissatisfaction.
Doing beginner missions was a complete waste of time.
[Beginner guidance must be completed before subsequent missions can be unlocked.]
Qin Xiao was speechless.
Forget it. This system is a few screws short. I shouldn't stoop to its level, he told himself inwardly.
Immediately afterward, the system's mechanical voice sounded in Qin Xiao's mind again.
[Beginner guidance: As a novice soul master, joining a Soul Master Academy for systematic study is particularly important. Your talent and age barely meet Shrek's admission requirements. Please proceed immediately to register and pass Li Yusong's preliminary test. Mission rewards: first soul ring age +1,000 years. 500 Gold Soul Coins.]
Join Shrek Academy?
Qin Xiao frowned in thought, and information about Shrek immediately surfaced in his mind.
Shrek Academy was an academy that accepted no ordinary people, only monsters.
Its admission requirements stipulated that students could be no older than thirteen and must possess soul power of at least level 21.
Qin Xiao remembered that his soul power had already reached level 30 when he was eight. Was that talent barely enough?
And then there was...
"I'm already eighteen, and I'll be a Titled Douluo as soon as I get my soul ring. You want me to study at Shrek?"
Qin Xiao could not help grumbling, "I'm more than qualified to be a teacher there."
[The mission is correct. Please carry it out immediately, host.]
Clearly, trying to reason with the system was not a wise choice.
"Still, adding a thousand years to my first soul ring's age wouldn't be bad. My first soul skill would be equivalent to other soul masters' third soul skills."
He had to admit that the reward tempted Qin Xiao a little.
After all, it could improve his strength...
"As it happens, I've just broken through my bottleneck and need to consolidate my cultivation. I shouldn't absorb more lightning to raise my cultivation for a while..."
"I'll take this mission."
With that thought, Qin Xiao closed the mission panel and headed down the mountain.
As for Shrek Academy's requirements, he did not take them seriously at all.
Rules were dead; people were alive.
In this world, whoever had the bigger fist made the rules.
What was wrong with an eighteen-year-old Titled Douluo becoming a student? Was that asking too much?
Half a month later.
"Shrek Academy..."
Qin Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the dilapidated sign and the equally dilapidated academy.
He had to admit that Shrek Academy was even more run-down than he had imagined.
Even so, over a hundred students and parents were already lined up outside Shrek Academy, waiting.
Thud!
Suddenly, a dull impact sounded near Qin Xiao. Looking toward the sound, he saw an old man who resembled an elderly farmer standing before Shrek Academy's entrance, holding a long staff covered in countless fine patterns.
Six soul rings-white, yellow, purple, purple, purple, and black-rose from beneath his feet in succession.
"The Dragon Pattern Staff, Soul Emperor cultivation... This should be Li Yusong."
Qin Xiao could not help pondering a question: when he took the entrance test shortly, what should he do to avoid frightening this Teacher Li?
Before you continue